Homeschool Field Programs

The Environmental Interpretive Center welcomes families who pursue homeschool education of their children. In addition to single visit programs for all ages and grade levels, (request single visit programs) the Center also offers a 9-month program for elementary, middle school, and high school-school aged children.

This High School Homeschool program is for students between the ages of 14 to 18, who wish to experience an immersive, four-season exploration of the natural world. Program sessions take place weekly from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM every Friday, from September through May. 

Participants will explore the wonderful variety of plant and animal life found within the 120+ acre UM-Dearborn Environmental Study Area with a professional naturalist.  Over the course of the program, participants will be guided in the practice of making close, prolonged, and detailed field observations of plant and animal life.  Participants also keep a daily log of their observations and maintain a field notebook. 

All participants will need to provide their own field equipment, including binoculars and field identification guides, from a specified equipment list found on the syllabus.

There is a $120 fee for this program.  The program registration is a two step-process.  Interested students must upload a personal letter of interest as part of the application process by September 1.  After they have been admitted, they will be sent the link to officially register and submit payment.  The completed registration and payment must be received by September 12.  

Before writing and submitting the letter, prospective students should carefully read over the syllabus for the program.  The letter should describe how and why participating in the program will support their personal interests and learning goals.  

The first meeting for the High School Homeschool Naturalist will be September 19th, 2025. 

Children ages 12-14 meet from 1 - 2:30 PM on the third Monday of each month, September through May. Through this program middle school students explore changes in nature through the seasons. Outdoor investigations include pond study, maple sugaring, insects and spiders, birds and migration, life of the soil, wildflowers and trees, and seasonal nature scavenger hunts. 

There is a $45 fee for this program which can be paid online, eStore payment portal link.

Children ages 6-11 meet from 1 - 2:30 PM on the third Monday of each month, September through May. Elementary aged student in this program explore changes in nature through the seasons. Some programs include outdoor investigations like a pond study, maple sugaring, insects and spiders, birds and migration, life of the soil, wildflowers and trees, and seasonal nature scavenger hunts. 

There is a $45 fee for this program, this can be paid online, eStore Payment portal Link.